The Crater
| Type | Mega biome |
|---|
The Crater is the area in which the main story of Subnautica takes place. The Crater and Sector Zero are the two major ecosystem centers known on Planet 4546B.
Geological Information
The area is the crater of a huge, long-dormant undersea volcano approximately three kilometers in height and varies from 3.3 to 4.3 kilometers in diameter. After the volcano became dormant the crater was filled in by sediments and the once volatile volcano became the center of a diverse and thriving ecosystem.
The area is likely a guyot; a type of undersea volcanic formation that once protruded above the surface and has now been eroded into a tabletop below the ocean's surface.
The area around the volcano is known as the dead zone or crater edge. It is a vast expanse of featureless water inhabited only by plankton and their planktivorous Leviathan class predators. It is unknown how large this stretch of ocean is.
Within the crater are multiple ecological Biomes. Each is diverse in its very own way. Biomes range from Underwater Islands to Kelp Forests, each supporting their own unique Fauna and Flora.
Interactive Map
Crash Zone
The place where the Aurora crashed, uninhabitable due to the number of Reaper Leviathans in the area.
Kelp Forest
This location is home to stalkers and creepvine. It is near the Safe Shallows.
Safe Shallows
The main starting area, this place is home to Passive Fauna.
Bulb Zone
This deep biome is home to numerous Ampeels with an abundance of Bulb Bushes.
Mountains
Blood Kelp Trench
This biome is very deep and contains a variety of dangerous fauna. A vast amount of creepvines also grow here.
Grassy Plateaus
A sweeping biome carpeted by blood grass, with numerous pillar-like structures. Houses a variety of fauna.
Underwater Islands
Features numerous massive rock "islands" suspended in water. Contains an abundance of Bonesharks, with 8 Lava Geysers at the bottom.
Sparse Reef
Gloomy biome with few types of flora and fauna.
Mushroom Forest
Resource-intensive biome featuring many Tree Mushrooms.
Northern Blood Kelp Zone
More open compared to the Trench. Home to crabsquids and a single Ghost Leviathan.
Crag Field
A biome known for jagged rock formations and a resource-rich environment.
Grand Reef
Situated below the floating island, this biome is characterised by its dangerous fauna and iconic anchor pods.
Sea Treader's Path
A very interesting biome, a migration path for the Sea Treader Leviathan. Very rich in materials.
Dunes
A biome of vast sand dunes, numerous wrecks and several Reaper Leviathans. High risk high reward.
Crater Edge
The vast, open area surrounding the Crater, this biome is inhabited only by giant Ghost Leviathans.
Notable Locations and Fauna
- Ghost Leviathan: Found in the Crater Edge and Northern Blood Kelp Zone.
- Reaper Leviathan: Found in the Crash Zone, Dunes, and Mountains.
- Aurora: The ship the player was aboard before the events of the game. Important blueprints and logs can be found here.
Lifepods
- Lifepod 17: Located in the Grassy Plateaus, a relatively short distance from the Jellyshroom caves, and nearby to a large Wreck. Onboard were Ozzy (cafe owner) and unnamed crew and/or passengers.
- Lifepod 3: Located in the Kelp Forest, nearby to the Safe Shallows. Here, there is a databox containing the blueprint for the Compass. Onboard were two unnamed members of the Aurora crew.
- Lifepod 6: Located in the Grassy Plateaus. Inside is a databox containing the blueprint for Ultra Glide Fins, as well as two flares. Onboard were an unamed Aurora crew member and passenger. This lifepod is in the Aurora's radiation zone.
- Lifepod 2: Located in the middle of the Northern Blood Kelp Zone. Here, a databox containing the blueprint for the Cyclops Depth Module MK1 can be found. Onboard were CTO Yu and Berkeley.
- Lifepod 13: Located in the North Western Mushroom Forest. Here, a databox containing the blueprint for Ultra Glide Fins can be found. Onboard was Mongolian emissary Jochi Khasar.
- Lifepod 19: Located inside a cave system in the Sparse Reef. Here, a databox containing the blueprint for the Ultra High Capacity Tank can be found. Onboard was Second Officer Keen.
- Lifepod 7: Located in the Crag Field. Many miscellaneous items can be found here, one of which is An Unusual Doll. Onboard were one or more unnamed crew members.
- Lifepod 4: Located withing the Aurora's Crash Zone, therefore it is inside the radiation zone. Here, a databox containing the blueprint for the Creature Decoy can be found. Onboard were one or more unnamed crew members.
- Lifepod 12: Located in the Bulb Zone. Here, a databox containing the blueprint for the Repulsion Cannon can be found. Onboard was Medical Officer Danby.
Gallery
Elevation Heat Map of the Crater
3D Model of the Crater
Trivia
- Although the size of the Crater is stated to be 2km x 2km in the Crater Edge Databank entry, the actual size in game is about twice that.
- Even at 4x4 km, the Crater is less than a third the area of a single real-life tiger's territory, yet still supports dozens of multi-ton predators.
- Before the Big Little Update, the Crater used to have more realistic terrain at around 3000 meters depth surrounding it, giving an appearance similar to real world abyssal plains. The bottom of the Crater was found here, which was a relatively flat area that covered a 4km x 4km square. At 3040 meters depth, the world completely cut off and all terrain would cease. It is unknown why this terrain was removed.
